Chapter 5: Transforming Teacher-Student Communication Under COVID-19: Using the ARS to Give Students Voice in Remote Japanese University EFL Courses—Part 1

The move to emergency remote teaching (ERT) in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic necessarily physically distanced classroom participants, thereby hindering normal modes of teacher-student communication. Videoconferencing services like Zoom, while useful, nevertheless have their limitations. The current chapter details 2020 spring semester analyses of student responses to the multifunctional Attendance Record Sheet (ARS), which was used partly for teacher-student relationship development via its required weekly submission by English language learning students enrolled at several Japanese universities. Analyses revealed the positive manner in which students communicated various matters via the ARS, indicating its viability as an ERT communication tool.